torarfandomcom-20200213-history
Knowledge
KNOWLEDGE (Int; Trained Only) Like the Craft and Profession skills, Knowledge actually encompasses a number of unrelated skills. Knowledge represents a study of some body of lore, possibly an academic or even scientific discipline. Below are listed typical fields of study. *Ancient History (royalty, wars, colonies, migrations, founding of cities in previous Eras) *Arcana (ancient mysteries, magic traditions, arcane symbols, cryptic phrases, constructs, dragons, magical beasts) *Astronomy (celestial navigation and events, celestial bodies) *Architecture and engineering (buildings, aqueducts, bridges, fortifications) *Dungeoneering (aberrations, caverns, oozes, spelunking) *Gaming (games of chance, gambling, and even cheating in such endeavors) *Geography (lands, terrain, climate, people) *History (royalty, wars, colonies, migrations, founding of cities in current Era) *Local (legends, personalities, inhabitants, laws, customs, traditions, humanoids) *Military tactics (battlefield insight, military strategy and gambits) *Nature (animals, fey, giants, monstrous humanoids, plants, seasons and cycles, weather, vermin) *Nobility and royalty (lineages, heraldry, family trees, mottoes, personalities) *Religion (gods and goddesses, mythic history, ecclesiastic tradition, holy symbols, undead) *The planes (the Inner Planes, the Outer Planes, the Astral Plane, the Ethereal Plane, outsiders, elementals, magic related to the planes) Check: Answering a question within your field of study has a DC of 10 (for really easy questions), 15 (for basic questions), or 20 to 30 (for really tough questions). In many cases, you can use this skill to identify monsters and their special powers or vulnerabilities. In general, the DC of such a check equals 10 + the monster’s HD. A successful check allows you to remember a bit of useful information about that monster. For every 5 points by which your check result exceeds the DC, you recall another piece of useful information. You can attempt a Knowledge check to give yourself an advantage in a situation. You may attempt one such check per day for each Knowledge skill in which you have ranks. A basic check (DC 20) gains you a +1 competence bonus to AC, attack rolls, damage rolls, or the save DCs of your spells against one particular opponent, or a +2 competence bonus to one saving throw against a particular effect (a certain mage’s spells, poison, or to avoid traps, for example), or a +2 competence bonus to one skill check to accomplish a particular task. A DC (30) check increases these bonuses to +2/+4/+4 respectively. You must specify the opponent, effect or task upon making the check, and the bonuses last until the conditions are met or a day passes, whichever comes first. You must describe how your knowledge produces these results; a knowledge skill which is incompatible with a particular result increases the check DC by +10, at the DM’s discretion. If you fail the Knowledge check, you may not attempt to gain an advantage through that Knowledge skill for the rest of the day, though you may still use a different Knowledge skill. Use of the Knowledge (military tactics) skill allows you to select two bonuses to gain instead of just one. Additionally, for every 5 ranks in Knowledge (military tactics) that a character has, the character gains a +1 insight bonus to initiative rolls. Action: Usually none. In most cases, making a Knowledge check doesn’t take an action—you simply know the answer or you don’t. Making a Knowledge check to grant yourself a situational advantage is a free action. Try Again: Not usually. The check represents what you know, and thinking about a topic a second time doesn’t let you know something that you never learned in the first place. However, you may retry if your skill bonus has increased since your last attempt. Synergy: If you have 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (arcana), you get a +2 bonus on Spellcraft checks. *If you have 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (architecture and engineering), you get a +2 bonus on Search checks made to find secret doors or hidden compartments. *If you have 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (geography), you get a +2 bonus on Survival checks made to keep from getting lost or to avoid natural hazards. *If you have 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (history), you get a +2 bonus on bardic knowledge checks. *If you have 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (local), you get a +2 bonus on Gather Information checks. *If you have 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (nature), you get a +2 bonus on Survival checks made in aboveground natural environments (aquatic, desert, forest, hill, marsh, mountains, or plains). *If you have 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (nobility and royalty), you get a +2 bonus on Diplomacy checks. *If you have 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (religion), you get a +2 bonus on turning checks against undead. *If you have 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (the planes), you get a +2 bonus on Survival checks made while on other planes. *If you have 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (dungeoneering), you get a +2 bonus on Survival checks made while underground. *If you have 5 or more ranks in Survival, you get a +2 bonus on Knowledge (nature) checks. *If you have 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (dragonkind), you gain a +2 bonus on Will saves against dragon fear. *If you have 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (astronomy), you gain a +2 bonus on Survival checks when outdoors. *If you have 5 or more ranks in Bluff, you gain a +2 bonus on Knowledge (gaming) checks. Untrained: An untrained Knowledge check is simply an Intelligence check. Without actual training, you know only common knowledge (DC 10 or lower), and you cannot try to gain a situational advantage. Category:Skills